Car top wardrobe carrier



y 1950 J. F. ROBERTS 2,937,774

CAR TOP WARDROBE CARRIER Filed Nov. 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS May 24, 1960 J. F. ROBERTS CAR TOP WARDROBE CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 13. 1957 s m R 05 B mo VR m P N H o v AT TORNEYS United States Patent CAR TOP WARDROBE CARRIER John F. Roberts, 1510 SW. Clay St, Portland, Oreg.

Filed Nov. 13, 1957, Ser. No. 696,187

Claims. (Cl. 214-450) This invention relates to car top wardrobe carriers and is particularly adapted for the carrying of suits and other wearing apparel.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a weathertight carrying compartment secured to the top of a vehicle to receive and carry cases for wearing apparel.

- A further object of this invention is to provide a structure of the class described above wherein the cases can be removed from the carrier and carried into the living quarters or dressing rooms.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a carrier and case combination, making it easy for placing the cases into the carrier and removing therefrom.

With this new and improved wardrobe carrier, clothes can be kept perfectly pressed while transportingthe same from place to place.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention in closed and carrying position on the top of a conventional vehicle.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 which illustrates the carrier in open position, showing one of the carrying cases being removed from the carrier.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows, withparts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the carrier.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken along the line 5--5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, similar to Figure 3, illustrating the door of the carrier in closed position, parts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6, looking in the direction of the arrows, parts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view, looking towards one of the latching bolts located near the ends of the door.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference character C indicates generally a car top wardrobe constructed in accordance with the invention.

The wardrobe C includes a bottom 10, having vertical side walls 11, joined together by a top 12. One side of the wardrobe C is closed by a door 13 hinged to the bottom 10 by a hinge 14, preferably of the piano hinge type structure. The top 12 of the wardrobe C is preferably rounded at 15.

The entrance or opening 16 to the wardrobe C is formed in the following manner. The rounded portion is bent inwardly on a horizontal plane, as at 17,

ICC

across the top and down the side wall 11 into an abutment, angle, as at 18. The bottom 10 is rolled into the hinge 14, while the bottom edge of the door is also rolled into the hinge 14, so that they intermesh with one another, after which the hinge rod 19 is inserted, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The ends and upper edge of the door 13 are turned inwardly into an angle 20, the inner edge 21 of which engages the downwardly extending abutment portion 18 of the top 12 and walls 11 of the wardrobe C when the door 13 is closed in the position shown in Figure 6.

Located midway the end of the door 15 is a lock 22, indicated by dotted lines in Figure l, and in full lines Figure 7. Located adjacent each end of the door 13 are spring loaded latching bolts 23, which pass through the openings 24 located in the inwardly turned member 17 of the top 12. By having latching bolts 23 adjacent each end of the door 13, the door 13 is maintained in a watertight relation against the gasket 25 fixedly secured to the abutment 18 of the top 12.

Fixedly secured to the bottom 10 of the wardrobe C and running transversely of the vehicle are channels 26.

secured to the bottom 28 of the cases 29 The channels 26 receive downwardly extending supporting shoes 27 fixedly secured to the bottom 28 of the carrying cases 29 and 30. Supporting shoes 31 are fixedly and 30 for carrying the outer end of the cases 29 and 30 within the channel ways.

Channels or rails 32 are fixedly secured to the inner surfaces of the door 13 in alignment with the channels 26. Supporting arms 33 are fixedly secured to the lower face and edge 34 of the door 13. Referring to Figure 5, when the door 13 is opened the arms 33 contact the bottom 10 of the wardrobe C, supporting the, door 13 at an inclined angle.

The carrying cases 29 and 30 each have lids 35, hingedly secured thereto as on hinges 36 and held in closed position by a fastener 37. Referring to Figure 3 particularly, the case 29 has a clothes hanger supporting rod 38 fixedly secured to the bottom of the case 29 to.

hold clothes hangers 39 so that suits or otherwearing apparel 39A can be properly supported within the case. 29.

Referring to the case 30, removable partitions 40 are supported within guideways 41, providing various sized compartments for holding hats 42, or other wearing apparel, such as shoes and the like.

The operation of this new and improved car top wardrobe C is as follows. The supporting feet or shoes 27 are placed within the channels 32 when the door 13 is opened as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5. The operator pushes the case towards the opening 16 of the wardrobe C, the shoe 27 leaves the channels 32 and enters into the horizontal supporting channels 26, the case 29 is levelled in order to enter into the wardrobe C and is pushed completely back, as indicated by the case 30 in Figure 3, against a resilient pad 43. Next the door 13 is raised'to the position shown in Figures 1 and 6, the edge of the channel 32 coming against the end of the carrying cases 29 and 30, forcing the end of the cases 29 and 30 against the resilient strip 43, preventing any movement of the case within the wardrobe C. The spring loaded bolts pulls them towards him and down into the position shown by the case- 29, Figure 2. The shoes 27 have extending heels 45 formed thereon to contact the lower end 46 of the channels 32 and under the lip 47 supporting the cases 29 and 30 in a vertical position on the side of the vehicle so that the operator can open the case door 35 and remove whatever he wishes, or he can raise the case 29 or 30 slightly, which will unlatch the heel 45 from under the lip 47, at which time he can carry the case 29 or 30 to any desired location.

The door 13, when in open position, has the holding supports 33 thereon engaging the underside of the bottom of the wardrobe C so that the door 13 is supported in spaced relation to the top of the car. The door 13 supported by the supports 33 permitsv the removal and replacement of the cases 29, 30 without damage to the top of thevehicle.

The wardrobe C is supported on the car in the usual conventional manner. The channels 31 and 32 provide rigidity to the wardrobe C as well as additional reinforcing angles 48, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 6.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A car top wardrobe comprising a generally rectangular receptacle, a door closing one side of said receptacle, said door being secured to said receptacle by hinge means connected to the lower edge of said door and the lower portion of said receptacle, tracks extending transversely across said receptacle interiorly thereof, a pair of wardrobe cases arranged for sliding movement in said receptacle, means on each of said wardrobe cases engaging in said tracks for supporting said wardrobe cases for sliding movement within said receptacle a plurality of track extensions secured to said door in aligned relation to the tracks extending transversely in said receptacle, and means at the end of said last named track extensions opposite said hinge for supporting said wardrobe cases when in fully extended position depending from said receptacle.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are secured to said door cooperating with said receptacle to support said door in spaced relation to the top of the car when said door is in open position.

3. A car top wardrobe comprising a generally rectangular receptacle having opposed top and bottom walls and having one side thereof open, a door hingedly secured to said bottom Wall underlying said open side, said door being swingable from an upper closed position to a lower open position, a plurality of spaced parallel tracks secured to and extending transversely across said bottom wall interiorly of said receptacle, one end of each of said tracks terminating at said open side of said receptacle, a plurality of spaced parallel track extensions secured to said door, one end of each of said track extensions being generally aligned With and terminating adjacent said one end of a respective one of each of said tracks when said door is in open position, a plurality of wardrobe cases arranged for sliding movement in said receptacle, means on each of said wardrobe cases engaging in said tracks for supporting said wardrobe cases for sliding movement along said tracks, and supporting means fixedly secured to the other end of each of said track extensions for engaging a portion of'said last narned means whereby said wardrobe cases may be suspended from said supporting means'when said door is in open position.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said tracks and said track extensions each consist of substantially U-shaped channel members, and said means for supporting said wardrobe cases for sliding movement along said tracks comprises shoe members fixedly secured to opposite sides of the bottom of each end of each of said wardrobe cases.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein a heel member is formed integrally on said shoe members on one end of each of said wardrobe cases for lockingengagement against said supporting means to prevent accidental dislodgement of said shoe from said track extension when said cases are suspended therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,091,393 Schulde et a1. Mar. 24, 1914 1,453,362 Loveland May 1, 1932 2,746,627 White May 22, 1956 2,812,992 Lysen Nov. 12, 1957 2,817,300 Shutt Dec. 24, 1957 

